Horseshoe

ABSTRACT

A horseshoe or racing plate whose toe calk comprises in crosssection inner and outer arcuate convex surfaces meeting at a relatively sharp edge at a point substantially outward and downward of the main portion of the shoe, and whose heel calks are approximately right triangles in cross-section, the right angles being located at the outer edges of the main portion of the shoe. The toe calk preferably encompasses about 50 percent of the peripheral length of the shoe, and the heel calks about 10 percent each.

United States Patent [191 Charlson HORSESHOE [76] Inventor: Thomas M. Charlson, 114'N. 5th

St., Chickasha, Okla. 73018 22 Filed: Oct. 27, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 301,632

[52] US. Cl. .L 168/24, 168/29 [51] Int. Cl A01i 1/00 [58] Field of Search 168/29, 24, 12

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,159,220 12/1964 Gist et al. 168/29 612,290 10/1898 Werntz 73,050 l/l868 Rust 168/12 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 430,043 6/1935 Great Britain 168/29 TOE CALK 20 24 NAILING GROOVE 14 1 Feb. 26, 1974 Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner.l. Q. Lever Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lack N. Shears [5 7.] ABSTRACT A horseshoe or racing plate whose toe calk comprises in cross-section inner and outer arcuate convex surfaces meeting at a relatively sharp edge at a point substantially outward and downward of the main portion of the shoe, and whose heel calks are approximately right triangles in cross-section, the right angles being located at the outer edges of the main portion of the shoe. The toe calk preferably encompasses about 50 percent of the peripheral length of the shoe, and the heel calks about 10 percent each.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 22 HEEL CALK PMENTED B 3,794,120-

28 RUBBER GASKET TOE PORTION L OF BASE |4\ OF BASE 1o ENTIRE SHOE FIGURE 22 HEEL CALK TOE CALK 20 FIGURE 2 24 3OSHARP EDGE 26 22 32 ROUNDED EDGE 1-76. 3 F76. 4 FIG. 5

HORSESHOE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a racing plate or horseshoe, and more particularly to one which enables the horse to achieve optimum foot and leg action in conjunction with the necessary traction.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art It is well noted that, in horse races, horseshoe design is a critical factor in determining whether a horse will be a winner or an also-ran. Many attempts have been made to improve horseshoe design, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,220 (Gist et al, issued Dec. 1, I964), U.S. Pat. No. 592178 (Sweet, issued Oct. 19, 1897), and U.S. Pat. No. 254,534 (Clarke, issued Mar. 7, 1882). From cursory examination of just these three noted patents, the layman might conclude that more than 90 years have been spent in designing horseshoes which appear to be essentially unchanged. Yet, horse trainers and racers readily acknowledge the improvement achieved over these years. Horseshoes generally comprise a base plate in the so-called horseshoe shape carrying heel and/or toe calks, and holes for receiving fastening naisl. Further generally speaking, it is the configuration of these calks which makes the difference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a horseshoe having an improved calk design. More specifically, the invention relates to a horseshoe whose toe calk depends not only downwardly, with reference to the installed position, but also outwardly with reference to the base plate portion thereof. In a preferred embodiment, this toe calk encompasses approximately 50 percent of the total periphral length of the horseshoe base plate. Although the heel calk design of this shoe is not as important as that of the toe calk, the heel calk is important in its combination or inter-action with the toe calk. Most importantly, the elevation of the heel calks must be approxi mately equal to that of the toe calk. The most preferred embodiment of the invention comprises that where the cross-section of the heel calks comprises approximately a right traingle whose right angle is at the outer edge of the base plate.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved horseshoe A further object of this invention is to provide a horseshoe which will enable its wearer to run at an increased speed. Another object of the invention is to provide a horseshoe which permits its wearer to have better foot action when running.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation of a preferred embodiment of the horseshoe of this invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

FIGS. 3-5 are cross-sections taken at the noted locations on FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ing grooves 24 and nailing holes 26. Horseshoe 10 can also optionally be provided with a resilient gasket 28.

AS can best be seen in FIG. 3, toe calk 20 depends both downwardly and outwardly from toe portion 14 of horseshoe 10. Both the inner and outer surfaces of calk 20 further comprise convex arcs, meeting at a relatively sharp edge 30. As seen in FIG. 2, toe calk 20 preferably encompasses about 50% of the total peripheral length of horseshoe l0.

FIG. 5 illustrates the heel calks, which can be visualized as approximately right triangles in cross-section, with the right angle thereof located at the outer edge of base plate 12. The bottom edge 32 of heel calks 22 need not be as sharp as edge 30, but it is important that the overall height of the shoe at heel calks 22 be about the same as at toe calk 20. Heel calks 22 each preferably encompass about 10% of the total peripheral length of horseshoe 10.

Finally, it should be noted that nailing groove 24 is, contrary to common practice, located at approximately the center, or even slightly inward thereof, of the crosssectional width of shoe 10 at any given point. The various surfaces of shoe 10, such as the transistions between toe calk 20 and runners l8, and between runners l8 and heel calks 22, are preferably relatively smooth and thus devoid of crevises.

The material of horseshoe 10 is preferably steel, and in the most preferred embodiment the surface of horseshoe 10 are chrome plated to increase durability.

What is claimed is:

l. A horseshoe comprising:

a. an arcuate toe portion;

b. arcuate right and left-side runners each having an end integral with respective ends of said toe portion; c. arcuate right and left-side heel portions integral with the respective opposite ends of said runners;

d. nailing grooves at about the radial mid-point of said runners;

e. an arcuate toe calk integral with said toe portion,

which encompasses about 50 percent of the peripheral length of said horseshoe, said toe calk having a cross-section comprising inner and outer convex arcuate surfaces joining to form a relatively sharp edge at locus substantially radially outward of the outer face of said toe portion;

f. a pair of arcuate heel calks integral with said respective heel portions, and which encompasses about 10 percent of the peripheral length of said horseshoe, said heel calks having cross-sections comprising approximately right-triangles whose right angle corner is located at the upper outer edge of said heel portions; the inner arcuate faces of said toe calk and said heel calks forming a relatively smooth continuous surface with respect to the flat faces of said runners, and the outer arcuate faces of said toe calk, heel calks, runners, toe portion, and heel portions forming a smooth continuous surface.

2. The horshoe of claim 1 wherein the elevation of said toe calk and heel calks with respect to said toe and heel portions and runners is about equal.

3. The horseshoe of cliam 2 provided with chrome plating.

4. The horseshoe of claim 3 wherein the face thereof adapted to fasten to the horse's hoof is provided with a resilient gasket.

7. The horseshoe of claim 6 wherein the elevation of said toe calk and heel calks with respect to said toe and heel portions and runners is about equal.

8. The horseshoe of claim 7 provided with chrome plating. 

1. A horseshoe comprising: a. an arcuate toe portion; b. arcuate right - and left-side runners each having an end integral with respective ends of said toe portion; c. arcuate right - and left-side heel portions integral with the respective opposite ends of said runners; d. nailing grooves at about the radial mid-point of said runners; e. an arcuate toe calk integral with said toe portion, which encompasses about 50 percent of the peripheral length of said horseshoe, said toe calk having a cross-section comprising inner and outer convex arcuate surfaces joining to form a relatively sharp edge at locus substantially radially outward of the outer face of said toe portion; f. a pair of arcuate heel calks integral with said respective heel portions, and which encompasses about 10 percent of the peripheral length of said horseshoe, said heel calks having cross-sections comprising approximately right-triangles whose right angle corner is located at the upper outer edge of said heel portions; the inner arcuate faces of said toe calk and said heel calks forming a relatively smooth continuous surface with respect to the flat faces of said runners, and the outer arcuate faces of said toe calk, heel calks, runners, toe portion, and heel portions forming a smooth continuous surface.
 2. The horshoe of claim 1 wherein the elevation of said toe calk and heel calks with respect to said toe and heel portions and runners is about equal.
 3. The horseshoe of cliam 2 provided with chrome plating.
 4. The horseshoe of claim 3 wherein the face thereof adapted to fasten to the horse''s hoof is provided with a resilient gasket.
 5. The horseshoe of claim 1 wherein said inner arcuate surface of said toe calk terminates at its edge opposite said sharp edge at a locus about the radial midpoint of said toe portion.
 6. The horseshoe of claim 5 wherein the hypotenuse of said right-triangles meets the face of said heel portions at about their radial mid-points.
 7. The horseshoe of claim 6 wherein the elevation of said toe calk and heel calks with respect to said toe and heel portions and runners is about equal.
 8. The horseshoe of claim 7 provided with chrome plating. 